Wave guide switch mechanism



United States Patent WAVE GUIDE SWITCH MECHANISM John A. Kuecken, North Syracuse, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application February 17, 1956, Serial No. 566,314

6 Claims. (Cl. 333-7) xThis invention relates to a waveguide switch mechanism and, more particularly, to a switch mechanism for switching the flap of a Y-junction waveguide means between a first position thereof, closing one of the arm waveguides of the Y-junction waveguide means, and a second position thereof, closing the other arm waveguide of the Y-junction waveguide means.

It is an object of this invention to provide a switch mechanism for the flap of a Y-junction waveguide means in which the switch mechanism projects only into the space between the two arm waveguides of the Y-junction waveguide means, to thereby save space;

It is a further object of this invention to provide a switch mechanism wherein the switching linkage projects only into the ofi arm waveguide of the Y-junction waveguide means;

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a switch mechanism wherein positive toggle action is obtained in switching from one position thereof to another position thereof;

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a switch mechanism wherein the switching linkage seals the on arm waveguide of the Y-junction waveguide means.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages'of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein the sole figure is a diagrammatic perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a Y- junction waveguide means 10 composed of leg waveguide 12 and two arm waveguides 14 and 16, respectively, which are symmetrically disposed about an extension of the axis of leg waveguide 12. A flap 18 is hinged to junction 20 of arm waveguides 14 and 16, as shown, for rotation thereabout. Flap 18 has a dimension parallel to junction 20 which is substantially equal to the corresponding internal dimension of arm waveguides 14 and 16, and has a dimension perpendicular to junction 20 which is just bigger than the corresponding internal dimension of arm waveguides 14 and 16. Therefore, flap 18 will seat against the junction of arm waveguide 14 and leg waveguide 12 in a first position thereof, which is the position shown, and will seat against the junction of arm waveguide 16 and leg waveguide 12 in a second position thereof, which is not shown.

Y-junction waveguide means employing a flap, in the manner described, are old in the art, and are shown, for instance, on page 526 of Microwave Transmission Circuits by Ragen, volume 9, Radiation Laboratories Series, published by McGraw-Hill'.

This invention is concerned with the switch mechanism for switching flap 18 between its first and second positions.

Switch mechanism 22 consists of a first lever arm 24 which extends from a first given point on the left side of flap 18 to a second given point on that wall of arm waveguide 14 which forms junction 20 with arm Waveguide 16. A second lever arm 26 extends from athird given point on the right side of flap 18 to a fourth given point on that wall of arm waveguide 16 which forms junction 20 with arm waveguide 14. The first and third above-mentioned given points are the same first-given distance from junction 20, and the second and fourth above-mentioned given points are each a second given distance from junction 20.

Lever arms 24 and 26 are maintained at a fixed given angle relative to each other by cover plate28 which is integral with lever arms 24 and 26, as shown. Furthermore, lever arms 24 and 26 are pivotally mounted to flap 18 at the above-mentioned first and third given points by pin 30.

The walls of arm waveguides 14 and 16, respectively, which form junction 20 have cutaway portions therein which extend from the above-mentioned second and fourth given points to junction 20. The above-mentioned fixed given angle between lever arms 24 and 26 is chosen to have a magnitude relative to the angle between arm waveguides 14 and 16 such that lever arm 26 is parallel to and flush with the cutaway portion in arm waveguide 16 when flap 18 is oriented in its first position and such that lever arm 24 is parallel to and flush with the cutaway portion of arm waveguide 14 when flap 18 is oriented in its second position. The cutaway portions are positioned and dimensioned as shown to just accommodate lever arms 24 and 26, respectively.

Switch mechanism 22 further includes arms 32 and 34 connected to lever arms 24 and 26, respectively, at the above-mentioned second and fourth given points, and to switch cover plate 28, as shown in the drawing.

ice

A member 36 fixedly attached to arm waveguides 14 and 16, respectively, supports a pivot 38 which lies on the bisector of the angle between arm waveguides 14 and 16. Pivot 40, oriented closer to junction 20 than pivot 38, is fixedly attached to cover plate 28, and lies on the bisector of the above-mentioned fixed given angle between lever arms 24 and 26. A tension spring 42 has one end thereof connected to pivot 38 and the other end thereof connected to pivot 40.

Flap 18 is switched from its first position, closing arm waveguide 14, which is the position of flap 18 in the drawing, to its second position, closing arm waveguide 16, which position is not shown in the drawing, by mov-f ing arm 34 in a counter-clockwise direction. This causes lever arm 24, which bears against flap 18, to rotate flap 18 about junction 20 in a counter-clockwise direction. Since the distance between junction 20 and pivot 30 is fixed, and the distance from pivot 30 to pivot 40 is-also fixed, the kinematics involved require that the distance from pivot 40 to junction 20 become shorter as flap l8 approaches the axis of leg waveguide 12, which coincides with the bisector of the angle between arm waveguides 14 and 16. This distance between pivot 40 and junction 20 becomes a minimum when flap 18 coincides with the axis of leg waveguide 12. Furthermore, as the distance between pivot 40 and junction 20 becomes shorter, the distance between pivot 38 and pivot 40 becomes longer. This results in stretching tension spring 42. As soon as flap 18 is moved beyond the axis of leg waveguide 12, spring 42 is free to relax and in so doing causes flap 18 to move into its second position closing arm waveguide 16. Thus, switch mechanism 22 provides positive toggle action.

Tension spring 42 may be replaced by a compression spring. However, in this case, the relative positions of pivot 38 and pivot 40, respectively, relative to junction 20 must be reversed.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. A Y-junction electrical waveguide comprising a hollow leg waveguide and two hollow arm waveguides, all rectangular in transverse cross section, arranged in a Y-shape, and having a straight line of intersection corresponding to the apex line of the dihedral angle between two intersecting side walls of the arm waveguides, a fiap located within the interior of the intersecting arm waveguides at their intersection and hinged to the intersecting arm waveguides along said straight line of intersection, a lever arm articulately connected to and extending from each of the opposite faces of said flap, each of said intersecting side walls having a notch extending from the intersection along the wall for a portion only of the height of the side wall, one lever arm passing outwardly through said notch in one of said intersecting side walls and the other outwardly through the notch in the other of said intersecting side walls, each lever arm approximately filling the notch through which it extends when the arm waveguide in which that arm is disposed is in use, means coupling said lever arms to hold them in fixed angular relation to one another, said lever arms and coupling means constituting an operating handle for said flap accessible from the exterior of said guide by which said flap may be rotated between positions in which it alternately lies across the entrances to the arm waveguides selectively.

2. A Y-junction electrical waveguide comprising a hollow leg Waveguide and two hollow arm waveguides, all rectangular in transverse cross section, arranged in a Y-shape, and having a straight line of intersection corresponding to the apex line of the dihedral angle between two intersecting side walls of the arm waveguides, a flap located-within the interior of the intersecting arm waveguides at their intersection and hinged to the intersecting arm waveguides along said straight line of intersection, a lever arm articulately connected to and extending from each of the opposite faces of said flap, each of said intersecting side walls having a notch extending from the intersection along the wall for a portion only of the height of the side wall, one lever arm passing outwardly through the notch in one of said intersecting side walls and the other arm outwardly through the notch in the other of said intersecting side walls, means coupling said lever arms to hold them in fixed angular relation to one another, said lever arms and coupling means constituting a handle accessible from the exterior of said guide by which said flap may be rotated between positions in which it alternately lies across the entrances to the arm waveguides selectively, each of said lever arms extending along and approximately filling the notch in the side wall of the arm waveguide through which it extends when the flap is in a position transversely across the entrance to the other arm waveguide, whereby when the flap connects the leg waveguide with either arm waveguide, the notch in such connected arm waveguide will be approximately closed by the lever arm that passes through it.

3. The waveguide as set forth in claim 1, and toggle means connected to and acting on the outer end of said coupling means for holding the flap resiliently in each of its positions across the entrance to an arm waveguide.

4. The waveguide as set forth in claim 1, wherein said coupling means is a plate rigid with the lever arms and extends with the lever arms into the interior of the intersecting arm waveguides at one end of the intersection.

5. The waveguide as set forth in claim 1, wherein said flap has a dimension parallel to said straight line of the intersection substantially equal to the corresponding internal dimension of said arm waveguides, and a dimension perpendicular to said junction straight line just slightly longer than the corresponding internal dimension of said arm waveguides, whereby said flap may seat alternately against the entrances to each of the arm waveguides.

6. The waveguide as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fiap has a dimension parallel to said straight line of the intersection substantially equal to the corresponding internal dimension of said arm waveguides,'and a dimension perpendicular to said junction straight line just slightly longer than the corresponding internal dimension of said arm waveguides, whereby said flap may seat alternately against the entrances to each of the arm waveguides, and toggle means disposed exteriorly of the leg and arm waveguides and acting on the part of said coupling means that is on the exterior of said waveguides for holding the flap resiliently in each of its positions across the entrance to an arm waveguide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 313,880 Niblick Mar. 17, 1885 586,265 Beebe et al. July 13, 1897 OTHER REFERENCES Ragan: Microwave Transmission Circuits, vol. 9,

M. I. T. Radiation Lab. Series, Pub. McGraw-Hill, 1948, pp. 525-26. 

